Rats and toxoplasmosis?

[abeautifulbutterfly]

Does anyone know if pet rats can carry TP?

We are sort of trying for another baby and I have just bought DD1 two lovely boy rats for her 7th birthday. She is very good and I have made a point of making her do the brunt of the cleaning, feeding, caring, etc., but she is only 7 and I do help her. Especially as I read somewhere that if you keep throwing their droppings into their litter tray they will eventually cotton on that this is their toilet (no luck yet, but I will be patient - they've only been with us a couple of weeks).

But it suddenly hit me yesterday that perhaps I should be wearing rubber gloves if there is a chance I could be PG?? Is it really only cats, or could I catch someting from the ratties too??

It is possible for them to carry it but very unlikely if they are bread in captivity and not come into contact with the T. gondi cysts in pork and other meats or cat faeces. Also I am not sure, but I dont think their droppings or urine contains any parasites because it just lives in the brain of the rats unlike with cats where parasites are excreted in their faeces.

HTH

Thanks, you knowledgeable-sounding person! They were bred by someone who keeps a lot of rats so I presume she didn't have a cat (no personal contact). And they only get well-cooked meat occasionally.
Looks like I'm ok then.

Why not wear gloves when changing the cage just to be on the safe side?
It's very unlikely to catch anything but it may make you feel easier

If they have it now they have probably had it for ages and you have already been exposed, so you've already got immunity (most of us do).

I don't think it poses any risk to humans other than non-immune PG woman, does it?

Have you ever dug in lots of soil with your bare hands, encountered cat poo in a sandpit, drunk raw dairy products -- you probably got it already from one of those routes, too.